


Edge of Desire

by thelastflightshome



Category: Hart of Dixie
Genre: Cheating, F/M, Minor Character(s), Mutual Pining, mostly following the s3 timeline but with a slight change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:21:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28927986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelastflightshome/pseuds/thelastflightshome
Summary: the five times zoe didn’t send a text concerning her relationship with wade and the one time she did.
Relationships: Zoe Hart/Wade Kinsella
Kudos: 10





	Edge of Desire

**Author's Note:**

> this became a drabble that i didn’t exactly have a plot for but i enjoyed writing. it mostly follows season 3, but there’s a few changes made.

> _Wired and I'm tired / Think I'll sleep in my clothes on the floor / Or maybe this mattress will spin on its axis / And find me on yours / Don't say a word / Just come over and lie here with me_

_EDGE OF DESIRE, JOHN MAYER_  
  


**ONE.**

Being in Bluebell meant a lot of things. It meant that she was home, that she was with friends and her found-family. It meant she had a secure job. It meant she had a place to go, people to see, and things to do. It meant girls nights with AnnaBeth and consulting with Brick and breakfast with Lavon. 

It meant building a life with Joel, because she wasn’t here by herself this time. Because in her time away in New York, Zoe created a separate life for herself. One that wasn’t Bluebell, the place she was destined to be. And now those worlds collided. 

Now being back in Bluebell with Joel meant **planned dinner-dates** with _Lavon &AnnaBeth&Joel _. It was sleeping in the Whippoorwill Bed and Breakfast and not getting pancakes with a whipped cream smiley-face, but a complimentary muffin and bad coffee. 

And it was going to The Rammer Jammer, meeting the new waitress with the mysterious-vibe Zoe wished she had time to figure out. It’s watching Wade flirt with the waitress and feeling a twinge of jealousy, something **primal** in her wanting to mark her territory. 

But Wade wasn’t hers. Not anymore. They had that chance and he blew it. And then they had another chance, and _she_ blew it to spend a summer back in a place she’d never call home again. 

Besides, she had Joel. Why would she care about who Wade is dating? Or not dating - because he’d never had a _serious_ girlfriend before. She doesn’t care about this relationship - or lack of one. But she can’t ignore a small twinge of worry that pops into her head. His words back on that dirt Alabama road. The way he looked at her with such hope in his eyes, “ _I’ll see you in three months, Doc.”_ with the unspoken promise that they’d find their way back to each other.

And three months turned into five months and she broke his heart, just as bad as he broke hers. 

Still, she cares about him. Despite all the bullshit, the back-and-forth, and all around confusion that is and was their relationship. 

Wade felt more than he let on. Always. It took her too long to see it. But now she does, that wall has been broken down, and she wants nothing more than to build it up for him. She wants to protect him, in some weird way. 

**_UNSENT :_ ** _Don’t break his heart. He doesn’t deserve it._

**TWO.**

Lavon’s cousin Lynly leaves town, leaving the carriage house open once again. It’s perfect timing, since Zoe and Joel have officially been declared the bed and breakfast’s longest-staying guests. And as much as Zoe loves the king-sized bed, and the fact she never has to clean anything, it’s nice to return to the carriage house. 

Because that was _her_ home. The home that Lavon rented to her, that Wade had worked on renovating for months. Lynly had barely made any changes, so walking back into the carriage house was like walking back in time for a moment. 

But again, it’s not the same. Since Joel is here. He complains about the Alabama heat, how he doesn’t understand how air-conditioning isn’t in every building. He complains about the WiFi signal, but he’s _trying_ and that’s really the point. He didn’t have to come all the way to Alabama with her. He didn’t have to stay with her, he could’ve laughed and taken the next flight to New York. But he said he loved her and that was enough to want to make him stay. 

It’s a little odd, a reminder of her two separate worlds colliding, as she wakes up beside Joel in the carriage-house. 

Some confused part of her subconscious was surprised to see him sitting up beside her, especially since he’s watching cartoons. 

So she jumps up in surprise as she hears _Beavis &Butthead _ , of all things, and wonders for a second if she really **is** dreaming. Joel Stevens did _not_ watch cartoons. Cartoons on Sunday mornings in the carriage house _belonged_ to Wade Kinsella. 

Zoe remembers the first time she woke up to MTV’s trashy cartoons and his childish laughter. Annoyed he had woken her from a peaceful sleep, Zoe’s gut-reaction was to throw a pillow at his head. 

“Hey!” He exclaimed, twisting to look at her laying back on the pillows. “I’m eating cereal, I could’a spilled it all over your fancy-sheets.” 

“You’re eating in my bed?” Zoe groaned, running a hand through her bed-head. 

“Lucky Charms.” Wade nods, pointing his spoon at her before shoveling into the sugary breakfast. And then he’s laughing again at the cartoon. As annoyed as she felt, it melts away as she crawls over the covers to sit next to him. 

“Would you believe me if I said I never watched this before?” She asks, criss-crossing her legs. 

Wade rolls his eyes. “Uh, yeah, Doc, I’d believe you.” 

She nudges him with her elbow before reaching over to pick a rainbow marshmallow out of his bowl of cereal. 

“Woah, woah!” He gasps, playfully going to push her away. “Get your own cereal!” 

In reality, Joel changes the channel to CNN. Zoe rolls over onto her side. Part of her feels like asking him to change the channel back. 

**_UNSENT :_ ** _He gets really protective over his sugary cereal. And cartoons. Make sure you’ve got your Sunday mornings free because those are sacred._

**THREE.**

The worst part of living on the Plantation is the fuse-box. It’s old, it’s finicky, and Zoe is horrified of it. She pokes at it with sticks, jumping every time there’s a spark that pops out at her. It’s a stupid machine that she doesn’t understand. 

But she does understand how to not blow the generator. It took some time, but now Zoe is aware that one cannot have a laptop charging, a curling iron plugged in, and the cappuccino machine on all at once. Because the chances are that Wade has his lights on, as well as his television, and if the fuse-box is generating power for all of those devices, it’s going to start smoking and sparking and they’ll **both** lose power. 

Unfortunately, Joel is not aware of their sensitive power-generator. Because in New York they weren’t really dependent on generators, unless they were hit by a tropical storm. He reminds Zoe of herself when she first came to Bluebell just a tiny bit. 

“Wait -” She starts, but it’s too late, as he plugs in his computer while she’s already in the process of blow-drying her hair. 

The lights all flicker before abruptly turning off, her cable box beeping as it’s attempting to reboot. Across the pond that separates their houses, Zoe can hear a distant yell. 

“DAMMIT ZOE!”

For some reason, it makes her smile. 

**_UNSENT :_ ** _If you ever need to get his attention, just blow the power. He’ll come running._

**FOUR.**

Joel and Zoe ultimately break up. She sells the house that they had just bought, because Joel decided they shouldn’t live on the plantation forever. Zoe takes this breakup hard, but not as hard as the breakup she had with Wade. 

She talks herself through it, she knows that the situations were different. There is a similarity, though, which is the fact that she is overwhelmed with Bluebell’s Famous Breakup-Pies.

What is it with Bluebell-ians and eating your sadness away? 

And because Bluebell is more of an extended family than a town, Zoe is babysat. She doesn’t need it, she doesn’t really want it. But as Rose leaves and Zoe has about five minutes to herself before the door opens again, she has to admit that it’s nice not being alone. 

Though, it’s a little surprising when Wade comes in, holding a paper bag that smells strongly of the Rammer Jammer’s loaded french fries.. 

“Hey there, Doc.” He offers that sideways smile that makes all the girls swoon, herself included. As if she had never seen it before, her cheeks heat up. She masks it with a cough and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. 

The bag of food is placed on her bed-side table and Wade climbs into bed beside her, his legs arching at the knees and his work-boots on her perfect-white comforter. 

“Sucks about Joel.” Is all Wade says, his back resting against the pillows. Zoe nods a little. 

“He’s a good guy.” She tries. “It just wasn’t meant to be, I guess.” 

Wade shrugs. He didn’t hate the guy, in fact he actually really liked him. Which is strange, since Joel was his replacement. But Wade had layers you had to peel back to really understand him. 

“I gotta run, I just wanted to drop off the food.” Wade swings his legs so they’re hanging off the bed. “I was supposed to meet Viv fifteen minutes ago.” 

It stings a little. The fact Wade is dating her cousin Vivian isn’t something she is ever sure she’ll be comfortable with. But it’s somewhat heart-warming, the fact that he was late to an assumed date just to drop off something for Zoe. 

“Let me know if you need anything, alright?” Wade says as he heads towards the door. 

Before he slams the door, he yells out “Ya got some more company, Doc!”

She sighs a little once Tom Long lets himself in. 

**_UNSENT :_ ** _The menu at the rammer jammer says that the loaded potato wedges includes cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and sour cream. Wade adds mozzarella cheese, jack pepper cheese, and chives. But not for everyone, it turns out._

**FIVE.**

Zoe didn’t think that they’d last this long. Maybe it’s cynical, but she assumed that whatever relationship that was going on between Vivianand Wade would have fizzled out the moment that Joel left town. 

Because there was no way that Wade **actually** liked the woman, right? He was only doing it for Zoe’s attention, with the way he sneaking her longing looks from across the bar. There had always been sparks between Wade and Zoe, even if they were with other people, and if you couldn’t see that then you had to be blind. 

And still, after Joel leaves, Wade hangs around Vivian. He holds her hand as they work their way through the Strawberry Parade, laughing and joking and reminding Zoe exactly how lonely she was. 

After months of denying it, Zoe admits to herself, that yes, she loves Wade. She’s always loved Wade, she’s always wanted Wade, and she should’ve never left his side. She shouldn’t have taken that summer in New York, she shouldn’t have dated Joel, she shouldn’t have let him get away. 

However, it is mere a mere coincidence that when **her** uncle gets married and everyone in all of Bluebell is invited, Zoe is left to slow-dance with Wade. Despite the fact that they share an Uncle, Vivian misses the wedding to care for her fever-ridden son.

“Stop looking at me like that.” Wade pulls his eyes away from her, though there’s a hint of a smile on his lips. It’s hard to not stand up on her tippy-toes and plant a kiss right there on him. But she resists, and grins back. 

“Like what? I’m just...really happy.” She beams. 

“Well...good.” Wade glances away from her, his thumb rubbing against the back of her hand as they sway. 

He doesn’t speak again, which is why she does. 

“I know that you believe that we don't have a future together.” Zoe starts, eyebrows raising slightly. “Wade Kinsella, you are just so wrong. I'm gonna prove it.” He finally reaches her eyes once more. He’s trying to mask whatever it is he’s feeling, trying to play it off as confusion. If there’s one thing they’ll all admit to is that he is committed to his role.

“As long as it takes. I'm not giving up.” 

For someone who claimed to want to avoid drama, Zoe somehow always found herself in the middle of it. She didn’t like being catty, the idea of fighting with another girl over a **man** sounds absolutely ridiculous, and belonged strictly in early 2000s chick-flicks. Which is why she doesn’t send what she writes out. 

**_UNSENT :_ ** _game on._

  * **ONE**



The problem with Wade is that Wade was Wade. And that the men in Bluebell were the men in Bluebell. Meaning they all had the same stupid advice for Zoe. The way to get to a man was through one thing : sex. 

Which wasn’t necessarily what Zoe wanted to start with. Since starting their relationship with sex was what caused it to go south the first time. But Wade was persistent, brushing off her silly date ideas and laughing at her suggestions of how they could spend time together. He reminds her, sort of lamely, that he is dating Vivian.

So Zoe had to stoop low. Seduction it would have to be, even if she announces it to him as she unbuttons her blouse. He doesn’t even try to stop her, all he cares about is pressing his lips against her sensitive skin. He insists to her it wasn’t going to lead to anything. 

But he’s wrong. 

He’s wrong, wrong, wrong. Because it does lead to something. It leads to Zoe missing her period, trying to calculate the dates in her calendar, and then panicking because this was **not** the plan. 

The plan was getting Wade back, not getting pregnant. 

But as it turns out, getting pregnant does lead to getting Wade back. Okay, it wasn’t ideal. If Zoe could rewrite the story, she’d have it that they get together first and _then_ get pregnant.

As if their time apart had never happened, Wade moves his things out of the gate-house and into the carriage-house. 

Meanwhile, across town, the news of their impending child and reunion spreads like a wild-fire. It doesn’t take long for the news to reach those who Zoe _didn’t_ think of. More specifically, the girl that Wade was seeing, her cousin Vivian.

It hadn’t crossed her mind, between the seduction and the panic-taken pregnancy tests, that somebody was getting caught in the crosshairs of the dramatic romantic comedy that was Zoe and Wade’s relationship. 

Wade also doesn’t seem to think about it. 

Maybe it just proves how little that relationship meant to them both in the long run.

It’s sweet, that his focus is now completely on _her_ and their growing baby boy stretching out her stomach. While they’re debating which color they’re going to paint the nursery, Zoe wonders for a second _what_ that relationship was. 

A place-holder until Zoe and Wade ultimately got back together? A careless fling? It was more than that, it had to be...Didn’t it? 

Whatever rabbit-hole she is close to spiraling down quickly closes as Wade lets out a sigh. 

“We’re not getting anywhere.” He decides. Zoe glances at the swatches of paints spread out on the wall. 

“Let’s just throw a dart at the wall. Whichever it lands on, that’s the color we paint the room. Sounds good?” She asks. Wade looks at her before nodding. 

“Be right back.” He kisses her forehead before bounding down the stairs of the carriage house, likely headed to the main-house to steal a dart off the board hanging in Lavon’s office. 

As she takes a seat on the metal folding chair placed in the middle of the room, Zoe thinks over the last year. 

It was messy, messed up. Some people got hurt. But she wouldn’t exactly change it, because she was getting a happy ending here. She was with the man she loved, she was bringing a child into the world with him, and she was really, really happy. 

Still, a part of her feels guilty. 

**_SENT :_ ** _vivian wilkes : we should talk._


End file.
